Hola! 16 miles and 36,869 steps. No rain gear today. Whoohoo!!! Leaving, Santo Domingo, all we saw was beautiful mountains and fast moving and overflowing rivers.
I started the day in extreme crabby mode! It took us forever to actually get out on the trail. I am always chomping at the bit to get started. My glum mood lasted until our first stop and my first caffeine....a Coca-cola Zero. We stopped at a cute little bar playing jazz music from the forties. Fun! I like that music but as I was inwardly grousing, what comes over the speaker but the Leonard Cohen version of "Hallelujah." My first smile of the day and my message from God that I am so lucky to be on this Camino. Hallelujah!
Directly across from the bar was Iglesia S. Jean Bautista (Church of Saint John the Baptist) in Grañón. I can never refuse a chance to go into a church and say a prayer. I am always so excited when they are open.
My best surprise of the day was this rose window. I had to climb up some very rickety stairs to see this window. Probably the most dangerous thing I have done on this trip. I tried to tell some other pilgrims to go upstairs and look but they just shook their heads at me. Who could be crabby after seeing this beautiful window.
Beautiful Scenery!
All towns in Spain have a church or cathedral as the center of the town. The next town was Redecilla del Camino and the church had these beautiful doors. Alas, the church was locked up.
I was again complaining (on the inside) about how many people were on the trail. How quickly we forget those blessings from God. I was missing those lovely Caminos where I was alone enough to think and meditate. Dennis and I kept seeing the the civil guard and they were blocking off roads. We were beginning to think either there was a terrorist problem or someone pretty important was hiking the Camino. We didn't see any Secret Service. Suddenly we started to hear cannons blasting and church bells ringing. Continuously ringing at 11:36. We knew it was Sunday but even on holy days they don't ring the bells for an hour. Turns out it was a local Camino where people walk from one town to the next.
The glorious pilgrim!
More flowers!
And now I know what to do with my old boots.
Look at this boulder outside Belorado, our final destination. Belorad is a town of Roman origin that had cave dwellers. There are still some houses that are build on the cliffs. The front of the residence sticks out and the rest of the residence is carved into the mountain.
This is the church of Santa Maria XIV which is built into the side of limestone cliffs.
This altar is dedicated to St James and to pilgrims.
What I found so interesting about this likeness of Christ was the skull and crossbones beneath it. I have never seen this before.
Today is our anniversary - twelve years! It turned out to be a lovely day so raise a class to Dennis and me! Happy anniversary to the nicest and best husband ever!!! (oh and did I say cute!)
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